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15 Posts
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1682
Does it matter which bay I use
I have an XPS 8920 computer with a 512 GB SSD and a 2 TB HDD. I wish to add another HDD. When I opened my computer I expected to find the HDD in the primary slot with both secondary drive cages empty. Instead I found the HDD in one of the two secondary slots with the primary and other secondary cages open. Does it make any difference which slot I use for the new drive? BTW, the new HDD is a 6tb WD black and I have a Blu-ray drive.
Thanks in advance,
Marc
vtoy116
307 Posts
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November 16th, 2017 17:00
There is no such thing as primary and secondary drive cages or slots only primary and secondary hard drives. So it does not matter which cage you use. Just be aware that you will need to connect to your hard drive with a left-angle or right-angle SATA cable otherwise the side panel may not close completely. With a left-angle SATA cable, the cable will face up when connected to the device. the opposite with a righ-angle SATA cable. Look at the existing SATA cable to determine which one is needed.
robert p
9.4K Posts
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November 16th, 2017 04:00
Hi Orcrone,Thanks for posting.
Here is some information from another Forum user that you may find helpful: http://dell.to/2zLSRg6
Orcrone
15 Posts
0
November 16th, 2017 20:00
Thanks for your help. I only asked about primary and secondary bays because the service manual referred to them i n that way.
I have a right angled SATA cable, but didn't take into account whether left or right handed. I looked at the existing cable and it looks as though I lucked out and have the correct one.
Thanks!
Orcrone
15 Posts
0
November 17th, 2017 04:00
Yes it is confusing. The service manual discusses replacing or removing the primary hdd and gives directions relevant to the hdd in the front of the computer, just below the optical drive. It then gives instructions for replacing or removing the secondary hdd and gives instructions regarding the two hdd drive bays on the bottom of the computer. I do realize the computer only cares about which port on the motherboard the hdd is plugged into.
vtoy116
307 Posts
0
November 17th, 2017 04:00
I am happy you got the correct SATA cable. By the way, the manual never refers to the hard drive cages as primary or secondary only the hard drive as primary or secondary. I can see why you would think there are primary and secondary hard drive cages.